To choose foundation for cool undertones, look for shades marked C, cool, P, pink, R or rosy in your depth, then swatch three close shades on your jaw in daylight. The one that disappears is your match. If you are not sure you are cool, check first with our free undertone test.
First, confirm you have cool undertones
Plenty of foundation mistakes start with the wrong undertone. Cool undertones show pink, rosy or bluish hints. You are probably cool if several of these are true.
- Your wrist veins look blue or purple.
- Silver jewelry looks better on you than gold.
- Pure white looks crisp next to your face, and cream looks yellow.
- You tend to burn before you tan.
- Golden foundations have always looked orange on you.
Redness is not the same as a cool undertone. A flush, sunburn or rosacea adds pink on the surface, so check your jaw and inner arm rather than your cheeks. Our guide to skin undertones explains all the tests.
How to read foundation shade codes
Every brand uses its own system, but most shade names combine a depth and an undertone.
| Code or word | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| C, cool | Pink or red based |
| P, pink | Clearly pink, usually lighter shades |
| R, rose, rosy | Pink red based |
| N, neutral | Balanced, a good backup for neutral cool skin |
| W, warm, G, golden | Yellow or golden based, usually not for you |
| Y, yellow | Clearly yellow based |
| O, olive | Green gray based |
A number or word for depth usually comes first, for example 2C for a light cool shade. Always check the shade chart of each brand, because a 2 in one range may be lighter than a 2 in another.
The jawline stripe test
This is the most reliable way to find your shade, in a store or at home with samples.
- Choose three shades close to your depth. Include one cool, one neutral cool and one slightly lighter or deeper.
- Paint a thin stripe of each along your jaw, from cheek to neck.
- Wait five minutes. Many foundations darken a little as they dry.
- Check in daylight. Step outside or stand by a window. Store lights can be very warm or very cool.
- Pick the stripe that vanishes. The right shade blends into both your face and neck. A shade that shows as a line is too light, too deep or the wrong undertone.
Signs your foundation is wrong for cool skin
| What you see | What it usually means | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Orange or brassy look | Too warm | A cool or neutral shade |
| Gray or ashy look | Too light, or too cool for deep skin | Go one shade deeper, or neutral |
| Very pink or flushed look | Too pink | Neutral cool, or a lighter pink |
| Line at the jaw | Wrong depth | One step lighter or deeper |
| Looks good, then darkens | Oxidizes on your skin | Go one step lighter |
Cool undertones at every depth
Cool undertones exist at every skin depth, and the right foundation changes with depth.
- Fair and light cool skin often suits pink or rosy beige shades. Very pink shades can look unnatural, so a soft rose beige is a good place to start.
- Medium cool skin often suits neutral cool or rose beige shades. Golden beige shades can look orange.
- Deep cool skin often suits shades with red or blue red undertones. Shades that are too gray or too golden can look ashy or orange, so look for rich, red based deep shades.
Matching the rest of your base
- Concealer should match your foundation family, one shade lighter if you want a little brightness under the eyes.
- Color correctors help cool skin with redness. A soft green corrector cancels red patches, and a peach one cancels blue or gray under the eyes on deeper skin.
- Powder should be translucent or match your foundation. A yellow powder can make cool skin look sallow.
- Bronzer should be soft and neutral. Orange bronzers stand out on cool skin. A cool taupe brown sculpts more naturally.
For blush, lipstick and eyeshadow ideas, see our guide to makeup for cool undertones.
Light, cameras and your foundation
A foundation that matches in the bathroom can look wrong in photos, and the other way round. Warm bulbs make everything look warmer, so a cool shade may look pink indoors and perfect outside. Phone cameras also adjust colors automatically. Always make your final choice in daylight.
Buying cool foundation online
Shopping online is harder, because you cannot swatch. A few habits make it much safer.
- Start from a shade you know. If you have ever owned a foundation that matched, look it up on a shade comparison site or in the brand chart of the new foundation, and find the closest equivalent.
- Read the undertone, not just the depth. Two shades with the same number can be very different. Make sure the new shade is cool, rosy or neutral cool, not golden.
- Check swatches in daylight photos. Brand photos are often edited. Customer photos taken by a window are more honest.
- Order samples or two close shades. Many brands sell minis. Two shades also let you mix the perfect match.
- Check the return policy. Some stores accept opened foundation that does not match.
Mixing your own cool shade
If you sit between two shades, you can mix them. Blend a little of each on the back of your hand, then test the mix on your jaw. Shade adjusting drops are another option. A drop of a pink or red adjuster cools a shade that looks a little too golden, and a drop of a white adjuster lightens a shade that is slightly too deep.
Cool skin with redness
Many people with cool undertones also have areas of redness around the nose, cheeks or chin. Redness is on the surface and is not the same as your undertone. Choose foundation for your undertone, then cover redness with a thin layer of green tinted primer or corrector only where you need it. Covering redness with a very yellow foundation all over usually makes cool skin look sallow. If redness is new, spreading or painful, it is worth seeing a doctor.
When cool shades still look wrong
If cool shades look too pink and warm shades look too orange, you may be neutral or olive rather than cool. Neutral skin suits N shades, and olive skin often suits shades marked olive or neutral golden. Our guide to foundation for warm undertones covers the other side of the shade range, and our free seasonal color analysis can help you see how your skin, eyes and hair fit together.